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How to Fix Legal-Size Documents Printing with the Bottom Cut Off
Question details
The bottom portion of a legal-size document is missing or truncated when printed, despite displaying correctly in the Print Preview window.
- Product
- Office Software and Printers
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Printing a document formatted for US Legal-size paper.
- Observed behavior
- The printout loses several inches of content at the bottom of the page, even though the full document appears correctly configured in the software's Print Preview.
Ensure that your printer's paper tray is physically loaded with US Legal-size paper (8.5 by 14 inches) and that the physical paper guides are correctly adjusted to the paper's length.
Align Software and Printer Paper Size Settings
Use this solution to ensure that both the word processor and the printer driver are communicating the correct paper dimensions.
A mismatch between the document's page size in the software and the paper size selected in the printer driver is the most common cause for cut-off text. Both settings must match US Legal.
Navigate to the Page Layout or Page Setup tab in your document editor, click on 'Size', and ensure 'US Legal (8.5 x 14 in)' is selected.
Press Ctrl + P to open the Print dialog box. Click on 'Printer Properties' or 'Preferences' under your selected printer.
Locate the 'Paper/Quality' or 'Paper Size' drop-down menu in the printer properties window. Select 'US Legal' and click OK.
In the main print dialog settings, locate the scaling options (often under 'Page Sizing & Handling') and choose 'Scale to Fit Paper Size' with US Legal as the destination size.
Update the Printer Driver
If the issue persists across multiple applications and documents, an outdated or corrupted printer driver may be misinterpreting the page dimensions.
Ensure Flawless Legal Document Printing with WPS Office
WPS Office provides highly accurate print preview capabilities and robust page setup tools, ensuring that complex legal-size documents print exactly as they appear on screen without losing vital information at the bottom.
- 1. Open your document in WPS Writer: Launch WPS Office and open the document you wish to print.
- 2. Set page size to Legal: Navigate to the 'Page Layout' tab, click 'Size', and select 'Legal (8.5 x 14 in)'.
- 3. Configure Print settings: Click 'Menu' and select 'Print'. In the print dialog, ensure the printer name is correct.
- 4. Print using Scale to Fit: Under the 'Zoom' section of the Print dialog, set 'Scale to paper size' to 'Legal' and click Print.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Print Preview look correct, but the printout is still cut off?
Print Preview displays how the software formats the document based on its internal page setup. If the actual printer driver is set to standard Letter size (8.5 by 11 inches) instead of Legal size, it will physically stop printing at 11 inches, cutting off the bottom.
What are the exact dimensions for US Legal paper?
US Legal paper measures 8.5 inches in width and 14 inches in length (215.9 x 355.6 mm). This is 3 inches longer than standard US Letter paper.
Does using 'Scale to Fit' change my document's original formatting?
No. 'Scale to Fit' temporarily shrinks or enlarges the document proportionally only during the printing process to fit the printable area of the target paper. It does not alter your saved file's margins or font sizes.
How do I make Legal size the default for my printer?
Open your computer's 'Settings' or 'Control Panel', go to 'Devices and Printers', right-click your printer, and select 'Printing Preferences'. Change the default paper size to 'Legal', click 'Apply', and then 'OK'.
